How the ‘Pink Tax’ Makes it More Expensive to Be a Woman

Last month, President Obama laid out new rules to crack down on employers that refuse to pay men and women equally. Major companies will now be required to report their salaries based on gender. Those that pay women less will face investigations and lawsuits from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Although this is a much needed step toward economic gender equality, there’s another historical pinch women have felt on the spending end that should be addressed as well, the “pink tax.”

According to a recent video created by Mic, women are charged an extra $100,000 over their lifetimes just for shopping in the women’s aisle at their local pharmacies and supermarkets. Female-branded personal hygiene products cost 14 percent more than those marketed to men, even when they’re made with the exact same ingredients. Women are also charged an unbelievable 56 percent more for haircuts, and an extra 92 percent for dry cleaning.

The first step in fighting the “pink tax” is to let retailers and brands know you’re onto their charade by using #PinkTax on social media to expose unfairly-priced products. Also, take a look at the products you use on a regular basis to see if there is a male-branded equivalent comprised of the exact same ingredients. If so, purchase that item instead. Nothing beats saving money while being an advocate for gender equality at the same time.